State Rep. Bud George lets his collegues have it over budget

Commonwealth Confidential

Camille “Bud” George, the plain-talking
state representative from Clearfield County, has never been one to
mince words.

Through closed doors today, he could be heard scolding his fellow House
Democrats as they caucused at the Capitol for the first time on details
of a tentative budget their leaders agreed to 11 days ago.

George, whose legislative tenure dates back to the 1970s, stormed out
of that meeting, but let his colleagues have it again when a reporter
asked him to recap what he had just said in private.

“Shame on these legislators who are shirking their
responsibilities. We ought to do what is right and pass the budget
now,” he said. “Both Republicans and Democrats have
an obligation to get a budget done, and if they can’t make
their point by a certain time, then they shouldn’t be
here.”

Today marks the 91st day Pennsylvania has operated without a compete
budget – the only state in the nation still without one in
place.

George supports Gov. Rendell’s come-and-gone proposal to fill
the state’s budget hole by temporarily increasing the
personal income tax by 16 percent.

And he ripped his colleagues for not supporting an excise tax on
smokeless tobacco and cigars.

“Which of these legislators have ever bought their own
cigars. They don’t smoke them if someone doesn’t
give them to them first,” he joked.